snarkalicious
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Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earthbound misfit, I~
Posts: 1,463
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Tipping
Dec 3, 2007 19:18:59 GMT -5
Post by snarkalicious on Dec 3, 2007 19:18:59 GMT -5
How do you deal with rude retail employees?
I was in Michael's tonight and the cashier was EXTREMELY angry. Slamming things, rolling her eyes, yelling at her coworkers and muttering under her breath. My husband decided it would be fun to mess with her, he kept suggesting alternate prices for things and asking her stupid questions. I thought she was going to climb over the counter and attack him!
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Tipping
Dec 3, 2007 19:27:06 GMT -5
Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 3, 2007 19:27:06 GMT -5
How do you deal with rude retail employees? I was in Michael's tonight and the cashier was EXTREMELY angry. Slamming things, rolling her eyes, yelling at her coworkers and muttering under her breath. My husband decided it would be fun to mess with her, he kept suggesting alternate prices for things and asking her stupid questions. I thought she was going to climb over the counter and attack him! Don't know if you're asking MY opinion, or the board in general, but here's my small change ... First of all, I heartily applaud your husband!! LOL Secondly, I most likely (I think) would have attempted to gain her attention ~ have her look me in the eye ~ while I calmly attempted to let her know how unprofessional and immature her behaviour appeared & how badly this reflected upon her place of business. If that didn't work, I would have also calmly, but firmly, asked her for her supervisor's name and location, so that I could have a word.
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Babs
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Tipping
Dec 3, 2007 21:59:21 GMT -5
Post by Babs on Dec 3, 2007 21:59:21 GMT -5
I wouldn't have said anything. I'm sure her coworkers would handle it later. She migfht have had some reason for her unhappiness. If anything, I would have gotten her attention and said that I was sorry she was having a bad day. Sometimes acknowledging her feelings can diffuse the situation.
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Tipping
Dec 3, 2007 22:08:26 GMT -5
Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 3, 2007 22:08:26 GMT -5
Would that we all were as kind and gracious as you, Babs.
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Post by Fun Grrl From Mt Pilot on Dec 4, 2007 0:05:42 GMT -5
"management's responsibility to make sure their servers are doing a good job...." Yes...but it is impossible for management of any buisness to oversee every employee on every transaction every time...they do rely on feedback..good and bad.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Actually, if a business pisses me off with bad service I don't mention a thing and then when the "closed forever" sign gets put out I just grin. I don't want to have to ask to be made happy" I stand by my statement about not speaking up being a disservice..In any buisness management appreiciates feedback.. She helped...ran drinks and presented checks..main server was a guy... And assure you the only reason it was noteworthy enough for her to have taken a pic with her cell phone friday night was that it has never happened before...
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Post by xterragirl on Dec 4, 2007 6:55:22 GMT -5
Just now noticed the rolling smiley was back. Highly appropriate right about now I think. Edited to say: It's my opinion that the "WTF" thing was childish. If you were dissatisfied enough to write that on the ticket, why couldn't you have taken a little extra time to speak with management?
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Post by Justin Thyme on Dec 4, 2007 7:37:22 GMT -5
Yeah, and I'll stick by mine. I don't owe them feedback I owe them a fair exchange for their goods and/or services and that's it. If the service is not up to my expectations but hasn't gone as far as to piss me off, I'll let them know. If the service is so bad it pisses me off I won't say a word to management but I'll damn sure tell my neighbors and my family. Let them wonder why they went out of business. I don't piss off easily so when I do get pissed off that's just my way of getting back.
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Post by xterragirl on Dec 4, 2007 7:46:59 GMT -5
Justin, wouldn't it be more satisfying to have told the business they screwed up - fair warning and all - and then watch them close the doors?
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Post by Justin Thyme on Dec 4, 2007 8:03:39 GMT -5
No, because if I tell them they might change and stay in business. After they piss me off I want the doors closed and them to wonder what happened so that they will fail in their next business also. It isn't difficult to please me and it is very hard to piss me off. People who piss me off have no business in business.
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Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 4, 2007 8:11:19 GMT -5
She helped...ran drinks and presented checks..main server was a guy... And assure you the only reason it was noteworthy enough for her to have taken a pic with her cell phone friday night was that it has never happened before... Well thank you for presenting the photo ... that proves to me that there WAS another person there that night that had basically the same opinion that I did. That is DEFINITELY NOT my handwriting, and I did not use a pen that 'thick,' AND I put at least one question mark (think it was actually 2 - 3) after my WTF.
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Post by xterragirl on Dec 4, 2007 8:50:08 GMT -5
It seems we have a "yeah, I did it but that's not my handwriting" problem here.
Red was there right? She would most certainly know if one of the servers waiting your table was Fungrrl's roomie.
Red? The replay please?
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Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 4, 2007 8:57:56 GMT -5
It seems we have a "yeah, I did it but that's not my handwriting" problem here. LOL ~ my point was that I, myself, did nothing to 'hurt' Fun girl's friend. My particular 'WTF' was directed at the fellow who somewhat served both me and my neighbour at the table that evening. And, just think about it ... that one ticket (to whomever it belonged) had one low-budget item on it, to which 18% gratuity was automatically added: 1) 18% is 18% ~ no matter how much a person purchases. Whoever purchased something for $10 and some change shouldn't have to pay another 50% of their bill, just to make up for a restaurant's not paying enough to their employees. 2) BEFORE the level of service could be addressed, management had already tacked onto the receipt a mandatory percentage for tip. And, I've been wondering ... perhaps we should move this thread to either the Debate Lounge or the FFZ? I really would love to have a real, logical, straightforward debate on the merits of the server payment 'system' as it now stands, as opposed to a 'system' where all servers are totally paid by their employers for doing their jobs, just like the rest of the world. Moderators? Lastly, to any and all who believe my 'WTF' comment was in the wrong, you are most likely correct; many times we humans use knee-jerk reactions when/where more calculated/thought out actions should have been employed. However, my statement was ultimately aimed at management. I still do stand by the sentiment, but I will attempt to think through my actions/reactions more thoroughly in future.
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Felix
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Post by Felix on Dec 4, 2007 9:06:59 GMT -5
Okay. Here's my take on restaurants, tipping etc. Two sides to the transaction, provider and consumer. Each wants something from the other. I have never accepted the idea that the consumer is the superior participant in the transaction. If the provider does not meet the consumer's expectations, no further business comes the provider's way. Enough consumers feeling that way, the vendor is out of business.
But no dissatisfaction short of prosecutable offense releases the consumer from paying for the requested service/product.
The tip is part of this exchange the consumer has initiated. Adjusting the tip in relation to the server's performance is proper. Stiffing the server is not, so long as the consumer receives minimally what was sought.
As for the 18% automatic tip, notice what that amounted to in the example of the pictured "WTF?" ticket. A dollar eighty. For one service at a table of more than a few people. Regardless of what the consumer expected, I would be surprised if a lot more labor and effort did not go into handling that particular size party than for several smaller parties. In the particular case cited, it may not be so, I was not there, but generally large parties require more of the staff than smaller parties.
Again, I see parity in the status of vendor and consumer. If you want a good meal, choose carefully and take your chances. If you want someone to treat you like a god, buy a dog.
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Post by daworm on Dec 4, 2007 9:29:05 GMT -5
The consumer may have initiated this transaction, but the server entered into employment knowing up front that tips were voluntary.
I don't stiff wait staff. If they really piss me off, I do worse. I leave them 3 cents. It's only happened about four times in my life, though, which isn't too bad. It takes atrocious service to invoke that. Simple bad service usually gets either a dollar or 10%, whichever is higher.
Suffice it to say, I think the whole practice of tipping (and paying servers less because of it) is stupid in the first place. Pay the wait staff what their work is worth, charge the customer what that work costs, and be done with it. Then we wouldn't have stupid conversations like this one, and every restaurant's bookkeeping and servers tax returns would be much, much simpler.
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Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 4, 2007 9:29:39 GMT -5
Marvell ~ opinion appreciated.
However, realize that that one ticket was one of at least 25 receipts. Who can know exactly what amount was presented on each ticket? Mine was about $40, just in itself. Therefore, the dollar and some change from that one ticket is not the only automatic tip the server(s) received.
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Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 4, 2007 9:36:00 GMT -5
The consumer may have initiated this transaction, but the server entered into employment knowing up front that tips were voluntary. I don't stiff wait staff. If they really piss me off, I do worse. I leave them 3 cents. It's only happened about four times in my life, though, which isn't too bad. It takes atrocious service to invoke that. Simple bad service usually gets either a dollar or 10%, whichever is higher. Suffice it to say, I think the whole practice of tipping (and paying servers less because of it) is stupid in the first place. Pay the wait staff what their work is worth, charge the customer what that work costs, and be done with it. Then we wouldn't have stupid conversations like this one, and every restaurant's bookkeeping and servers tax returns would be much, much simpler. Amen. I 'serve' my guests, as well, but do you think I expect a tip? I have my salary ~ I knew what it was going to be, before accepting this position. I also knew/know that my level of service determines whether or not this particular business stays in business (which is one way to determine whether or not I get to keep my job and salary!) Not even my housekeepers expect tips ... now, if a guest does leave a tip in their room upon checkout (which is unusual, by the way, although, in the past, it was as accepted a practice as tipping restaurant servers), we innkeepers leave it for the housekeepers, as their salary is less than ours; however, it is just seen for being a nice, occasional surprise ~ not part of their salary. If they do not do their jobs well, we just let them go ... Just as we would be 'let go' if we did not do our jobs well.
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Felix
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Post by Felix on Dec 4, 2007 9:43:14 GMT -5
Daworm offered: I don't stiff wait staff. If they really piss me off, I do worse. I leave them 3 cents. It's only happened about four times in my life, though, which isn't too bad. It takes atrocious service to invoke that. Simple bad service usually gets either a dollar or 10%, whichever is higher. Heh, 3 ¢ as a tip. I will have to remember that, never thought of it. I pretty much agree with what you say, Worm. I have no problem with low tips for inadequate service. Four times in a life time is a good score, for sure. As for the server knowing the conditions of their employment, right again. The consumer also knows up front the mandatory 18% tip policy, or should. If management or the server omits that caution before the order is placed, they are way in the wrong and should be rebuked in some way.
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Post by LimitedRecourse on Dec 4, 2007 9:49:15 GMT -5
I see no problem with writing ANY note on a ticket to express dissatisfaction with service. I've done it on occassion. I think it is much more effective to ask to speak to a manager. That way EVERYONE knows there was an issue, and it can be addressed however the business deems is best for their continued existence. I ALSO have called for a manager when the service has been OUTSTANDING and let them know what a great job the server did, and the excellent tip they would be receiving. Positive reinforcement is usually longer lasting than a smack on the back of the head.
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Tipping
Dec 4, 2007 10:22:59 GMT -5
Post by victoriasuzette on Dec 4, 2007 10:22:59 GMT -5
I ALSO have called for a manager when the service has been OUTSTANDING and let them know what a great job the server did, and the excellent tip they would be receiving. Positive reinforcement is usually longer lasting than a smack on the back of the head. I've not called for management before, except in the case of a really serious problem (thank you for the suggestion ~ I most likely will follow your example, in future), but always tip well, and tip very generously, where it's deserved.
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snarkalicious
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Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earthbound misfit, I~
Posts: 1,463
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Tipping
Dec 4, 2007 17:16:01 GMT -5
Post by snarkalicious on Dec 4, 2007 17:16:01 GMT -5
I am a big letter writer and if I am under- or over-whelmed by service I receive, I let the company know.
And I waited tables for years, as a student and single Mom, so I always make sure to tip well for good service.
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Tipping
Dec 4, 2007 18:26:51 GMT -5
Post by twisted23 on Dec 4, 2007 18:26:51 GMT -5
this entire ordeal is rather amusing. it is quite obvious that many of you have never been employed in the service industry. a server's wage, $2.13 an hour, turns into a $1.89 per hour after taxes are removed. For an 80 hour work week, a server is lucky if their paycheck is five dollars. as a 23 year old server, i am responsible not only for rent, but 4 separate student loan payments per month, car insurance, and several other smaller bills. let alone cost of living, (gas, food, etc.) how many of you would always be "on top of things" working a 13 hour shift at times, on your feet with no break? i like my job, and by no means am i complaining. that said, no one is superhuman. but you have to take into consideration that if ONE person is taking care of TWENTY people, let alone the other tables that server was responsible for in addition to your party, your service may not be as up to par as if you were in there with one or two other people. (COMMON sense here.) not only are his responsibilites taking care of his guests, but there are many other factors, helping run food from the kitchen to other tables, fulfilling sidework in the kitchen that customers never see servers do....all of which effect the flow of the restaurant, and in turn, the timeliness and qaulity of YOUR food and dining experience as a whole. i can assure you that your brunette "mediocre in appearance" (because that really effects your service, let's all grow up and quit taking low blows here) is an OUTSTANDING server. how do i know this you wonder? I would be the blonde girl referenced in a previous thread. the one assisting the male server. funny, were you paying attention to your surroundings, (and not just the money your arm was twisted into spending at the end) you WOULD remember me, considering i boxed up everyone's food to go, constantly was around the table making sure all TWENTY of you had drinks during your meal, and was in general trying to help the other server. your servers are people too. and i know for a fact that he, a married father of six, as well as a full time engineering major, is a VERY hard worker. especially to be working full time alongside finishing up a very challenging degree in order to support his family. yet, unlike a lot of jobs where you can go in, sit at a desk because you are tired/sick/hungover/effected by whatever happens to arise in your life (because we ALL have bad days), servers have to hide ALL of that and appear constantly happy and energetic...we actually get told that it doesn't matter who has passed away in our families, what bills we can't pay because we didn't make enough in tips the previous night, we must slap on a fake smile and deal with our customers, whether they be pleasant or unnecessarily rude to us. take into consideration how much that can place on someone's shoulders. i really do apologize on behalf of Big River if you feel you received inadequate service. although, being on the inside of the service industry, (i am being sincere here) it honestly is wise to ask to speak to a manager if you feel something went wrong during your dining experience, because you will see the sincerity of the employees and their want to do their job well, and improve where they may be lacking. one can only improve through critique, in ANY aspect of life. am i correct? people learn and improve from their mistakes. how many times have you possibly made a mistake and not even known it? if it isn't pointed out to you there is no room to grow from it, obviously.
and yes, i was EXTREMELY amused by the audacity of a grown woman to place as juvenile a term as "WTF" on a receipt. my fifteen year old niece thinks that is the "coolest slang term ever!" so, i congratulate you, as well as thank you for giving a 23 year old server one of the best laughs she's had in a while.
if/when you do return to Big River, i truly do hope you have a better experience.
and again, we ALL have room to improve ourselves. ALL.
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Red
Global Moderator
The Model
Posts: 2,121
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Tipping
Dec 4, 2007 19:05:10 GMT -5
Post by Red on Dec 4, 2007 19:05:10 GMT -5
Red has not been on the board the past few days... as I do have a life outside of here.... shocking I know... but the phone calls have been hillarious.
Now.... I have only had bad service at BRGHPM once, and that was because it was a newbie server and a very busy night, and it wasn't so much bad as poor thing was just slow. BRGHPM has a great group of servers and if something is wrong it gets fixed. Now I'm not just saying that because I know many of the servers, nor because my other half and I are regulars there, it's because it's true. I'm picky as hell when it comes to restaurant service, after doing the management / greeter / server/ kitchen thing in a restaurant, I'm just picky dammit.
On that night there had been a miscommunication. I only had 15 people RSVP and then more showed up unannounced. So the party grew from what the restaurant had been informed. Our server worked his butt off in a very small space due to the growing table. "Twisted" is a friend of mine and I saw her helping out our main server quite often. She and another server worked together with our main server to help him get his job done. Even one of the managers was assisting. Considering the groups size, and the growth, I think they did a great job and even tipped on top of the 18%.
I'm sorry some didn't have a good experience there, I thought considering the circumstances things went well.
People are way to hard on servers, even when you have been one in the past, there is still a tendency to forget all that can go wrong that's not even your fault. Remember, the shit rolls down hill.
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Tipping
Dec 4, 2007 19:24:55 GMT -5
Post by Justin Thyme on Dec 4, 2007 19:24:55 GMT -5
As I said earlier, it is really hard to piss me off. If the service is bad enough to do so my critique isn't going to help a thing. At that point, when I become pissed off, it is not my job to correct. I'm looking for the death of a business.
What I'm saying right now, if taken to heart, should give you a little enlightenment in customer relations. I'm not the only person who feels this way but I may be the only person that will tell you I feel this way.
I'll let you in on a little something else, if on my first visit to a new restaurant and I think I will be back often to that restaurant I'll generally tip around 30%. That's in hopes that the waiter or waitress will remember me and remember I was nicer than the 15%-25% normal tipper and return the favor in excellent service. If that is the case I will continue with a 20%-25% tip. If it isn't I don't return, or if I do I'll fall into the 15%-20% category of tipper. If the service is normally great but turns sour on a visit I don't usually let that affect my tip and I'll do my best to try to make things as easy on the wait staff on that visit as possible. If the service continues to be bad, though, the tip is affected and possibly my patronage.
Some restaurants that I've enjoyed are special treats that I only make it to two or fewer times per year. Those don't fall under the above rule.
A couple of restaurants are regular lunch hangouts of mine. I try to be especially good to the wait staff in those places and build a relationship of some sort with the staff. I do this because occasional I'll find myself short of cash and my tip might be less because of it. These people know that it will be made up and then some on my next visit. It's also nice to have a drink brought to you without having to order it and a nod is all that's needed to order lunch.
Things that will piss me off? Forget my salad and act like serving it with the meal is the normal thing to do. Same thing applies to the appetizer I ordered with my drink. Don't ask me if I want more ice tea when I'm in a heavy discussion with my dinner partner, just fill the glass up and let us talk. In fact, asking me anything while I'm intensely staring into my dinner partner's eyes while she is talking to me or I'm speaking to her is not something that is going to get you a bigger tip. While I might engage you with some light hearted banter when you first introduce yourself I'm not there to converse with you beyond placing my order. This doesn't mean that I don't like you it's just that I sometimes go out with my wife to dinner so that we can talk without the interruption of telephones, neighbors, dogs or kids. Your interruption kills the moment.
But really, I'm easy to please. Just take my drink and appetizer order within five minutes of my sitting down. If the place is really crowded I'm even lenient on that. Give me my salad early enough for me to finish it before my meal is served. Hot foods should be served hot. Don't interrupt my conversations to ask if I want more tea, just pour more tea. If I want another beer I'll let you know and bring me my check in a reasonable amount of time. If you make a mistake on my order, that's no big deal, just recover gracefully. The recover gracefully part will undo a lot of the awshits I've pointed out in this post.
Bottom line is, take care of me and I'll take care of you. I really want to build a relationship with you if you are working at one of my favorite spots. I don't want you to have to force a smile for me, I want the smile to come naturally when you see me walk through the door. I'll do my part to see that that is the case as long as you do your part and take care of me while I'm there.
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Tipping
Dec 4, 2007 23:02:37 GMT -5
Post by twisted23 on Dec 4, 2007 23:02:37 GMT -5
sadly, i can say you obviously have no CLUE or insight into the service industry. i find it funny that you preach you are easy to please. yet you list specific details of service you demand. walk a mile in another's shoes for a day, and quit walking with your nose held so high that you expect certain types of service. did it ever occur to you that in a server's training (at many corporate restaurants, as i have worked at several) we are told to ask if a customer wants a refill rather than assume? there are two sides to every situation. where you think it is rude to ask, we think it is rude to simply walk up, refill your glass, and walk away without a word. it is called HOSPITALITY. and in our training, that means being polite and addressing your guest verbally. and if you still feel you are being interrupted, honestly you should stay at home and serve yourself. you don't want to tip me as well because i "interrupt" your conversation?? then dish out the money for a babysitter and cook dinner for your wife in the comfort and privacy of your own home. problem solved. and seriously, the whole appetizer you ordered with your drink comment? logically speaking, a drink should be returned within a minute, if it is an alchoholic drink, 3 minutes within placing your order. your appetizer should arrive at the same time?! if you can make that happen, then by all means, step back into the kitchen and school all of us on your mad culinary skills. there are standard ticket times within every restaurant that we try to adhere to, but many factors come into play. and what's more. if you find yourself "short on cash" and unable to tip as you normally would, wouldn't it make more sense to SAVE the money you are spending and not go out to a restaurant? don't effect someone else's income because yours is lacking at the time. it's called Ramen and i believe it's under a dollar at wal-mart. welcome to the wonderful world of placing yourself on a responsible budget. don't try to act so mature with what you deem "quality service" when you say your critique is not what you want, but you desire the death of a business. let's not revert to the asinine ways of a fourth grader and set out for blood. it saddens me that someone can have the want to put over a hundred people (managers, servers, hosts, bussers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders...) out of a job because ONE person gave what you felt to be insufficient service. GROW UP. it is a pathetic and childish mindset i think we all should have grown out of at this point.
and please, forgive my rants. i mean nothing personal. simply offering a different perspective. at the end of the day, i really don't care. i have better and more important things to do than sit and dwell over uptight restaurant patrons who expect me to bow at their feet like a loyal puppy. but it seems this entire thread has lacked much opposition to the rants against servers and restaurants as a whole. and for those who had something positive to say, you have my sincere thanks.
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Kordax
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Post by Kordax on Dec 5, 2007 0:13:25 GMT -5
as a 23 year old server, i am responsible not only for rent, but 4 separate student loan payments per month, car insurance, and several other smaller bills. let alone cost of living, (gas, food, etc.) how many of you would always be "on top of things" working a 13 hour shift at times, on your feet with no break?
Are you a college grad & if so, given your stated financial obligations, do you think you're under-employed?
And in so far as the mandatory tip added to the bill, that's fine with me -- it's a business practice some places choose, others don't. If I'm in one that chooses to place a tip on the bill, that's all I'll ever pay. If I'm in a non-mandatory tip place & receive good service, good food, and have an overall good experience, I tip more than 18%, sometimes much more.
One of my kids worked in food service some of the time while he was in college in New Orleans; there were many weekend nights where he pocketed $500 - 800 in tips working for a Brennan (SP?)family owned restaurant & they were hyper-particular in training the staff -- he learned some great lessons doing during that time.
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Post by twisted23 on Dec 5, 2007 0:33:58 GMT -5
haven't graduated yet, but fully plan on it when capable. and yes, there are times i feel under-employed, as i'm sure we all do, regardless of what type of job we have. even so, my job is my job for the time being. and i make do and work hard. i understand that tipping is completely up to the patron. and if i know i am giving service that isn't up to par, i have no right to be agitated when i am not tipped well. working in the service industry has proven to be an extremely beneficial learning experience for me. not only financially, but socially. you have to learn to swallow your pride at times, and go out of your way even if it isn't deserved. you definitely achieve a greater appreciation for some good ol' hard work and especially for the outcome of it. sometimes its all i can do to pay my bills in a timely manner, but i feel a great sense of accomplishment in knowing my hard work is paying off my responsibilities, if nothing else.
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Post by Justin Thyme on Dec 5, 2007 7:28:04 GMT -5
No, I don't and I shouldn't have to. Do you have to know something about the automotive industry to get your car repaired? You asked for critique and I gave it. Are you going to listen and learn or insult me because I know nothing about your industry?
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Post by tncoaster37 on Dec 5, 2007 8:06:24 GMT -5
Twisted, You knew what the job paid when you went in. It's not our fault that you have all those expenses which you incurred on your own. So don't pass the buck to the customer for the short falls of the wait staff. When you start demanding tips is when I tell you to screw off. Tipping should be left up to the customer not the business to dictate on how much to tip or the wait staff to demand. I worked in the grocery business, Tipping wasn't mandatory but it helped. I remember that I went for a day or two stretches without getting a tip for the work I did. So don't blame the customer that your employer hasn't adjusted your pay in more than a few years to account for inflation. Remember this, you took the job and knew what it pays as you went in. IT's not the customer's position to finance your education beyond what he or she is paying for the meal. Tipping should be voluntary, plain and simple. You show this attitude towards your customers then I don't blame them for not tipping your ass.
For your co-worker that has 6 kids and is an engineering major. Then he needs to go to work somewhere else that pays more than what he is getting by being a waiter.
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Kordax
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Post by Kordax on Dec 5, 2007 9:27:05 GMT -5
Twisted, just an aside -- as a 23 year old person scrambling to complete your undergrad education & pay your way through life at the same time, I appreciate your points of view & I appreciate the fact that you're posting them here.
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Post by daworm on Dec 5, 2007 9:43:27 GMT -5
Twisted... take a deep breath. Calm...
Ok, better?
1. The main problem is with the restaurant adding the mandatory tip.
2. Yes, the server should not be treated like a personal slave...
3. But, the customer is there to be served...
4. And, it is up to the customer to decide what that service is worth, not the server nor the management.
5. The amount of the tip is a direct reflection of that the customer thought the service was worth. Were you to accurately report your tips (and I know what goes on in that category*, I have worked in food service before), the management would get a good idea on what level of service you were providing compared to other servers. It doesn't require any other form of feedback from the customer at all. Poor tipping one day might be just an asshole customer or two, but a server who consistently gets lower tips than the others is most likely giving poorer service than the others.
6. See aside above, I have worked in food service, so I know a little bit about how it works. Unless things have changed drastically since then. I'm sure some things have changed, but I doubt that it has changed all that much.
7. The whole thing is stupid anyway. Servers should be paid by the employers, not the customers. Servers should have a steady, reliable income, not one subject the whims of the customers. That servers put up with that is something I've never understood.
* For those that don't know, tips are taxable income, and you must report them each shift for tax deduction (which is why servers often get an almost $0 paycheck, the taxes on tips is as much or sometimes more than the hourly wage), and if your reported tips aren't above a certain percentage of your ticket sales (I forget the amount), the IRS will likely come calling asking why you are underreporting tips. So a server will report tips at or only a bit above that percentage (and vary that from night to night) even if they had a stellar night and made far more, thus keeping the difference between what they reported and what they actually made tax free. That really only applies to cash tips, as credit card tips are automatically tracked. Since I was in the business, credit card use has grown quite a bit, and in a restaurant like BRG credit cards are probably 90% or more of tickets (just a guess), so the game probably isn't played as much as it used to be, but I seriously doubt it doesn't go on at all anymore.
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